History Main / HystericalWoman

This trope characterizes women as less emotionally stable than men, and thus more prone to mental illness.[[hottip: The ancient Greeks believed that a woman's uterus would move out of place and attack other organs, causing all sorts of maladies, both mental and physical.]] As a result female characters may [[StayInTheKitchen be coddled]], or their [[CassandraTruth opinions undervalued]]. In Western works it's more likely to affect female characters [[ChristmasCake over the age of 30]] and who are HollywoodHomely and/or HollywoodPudgy; bonus points if she's a {{Housewife}}.

This trope characterizes women as less emotionally stable than men, and thus more prone to mental illness. As a result female characters may [[StayInTheKitchen be coddled]], or their [[CassandraTruth opinions undervalued]]. In Western works it's more likely to affect female characters [[ChristmasCake over the age of 30]] and who are HollywoodHomely and/or HollywoodPudgy; bonus points if she's a {{Housewife}}.

* The gag is recycled in ''Airplane 2: The Sequel'' when the same woman testifies on [[TheHero Ted Stryker's]] behalf in a KangarooCourt -- the memory of her hysterics sends her into a fresh episode of hysterics, which prompts the members of the court to line up to beat it out of her.

* This trope is hilariously spoofed in ''{{Airplane}}'', with a long line of passengers [[RightOnQueue lining up]] to [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slap the hysterical woman]], with increasingly lethal weapons. One supposes shooting her ''would'' stop her hysterics, but fortunately much of the violence is merely implied.

* Lambert(Veronica Cartwright) in ''{{Alien}}'' but Ellen Ripley makes up for it.

* In ''{{Pulp Fiction}}'' during the diner robbery, Honey Bunny is this when Jules points a gun at "Ringo" (even though he's calm.)

* The wandering womb diagnosis gets direct mention as "a classic case of hysteria" by a doctor in one of the ''[[MarcusDidiusFalco Falco]]'' novels (which take place in 1st century Rome), along with Helena Justina's ''utter'' contempt for this particular brand of medical theory. A woman is suffering crippling headaches? Clearly her womb has settled in her head. It couldn't possibly be the stress of knowing [[spoiler: she's to be paraded through the streets of Rome as a prisoner of war in an Ovation, ritually raped, then executed]], after all.
* In ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'', Charlie's mother seems to have shades of this.

* ''{{House}}'' had a mass hysteria case where the normally quite competent Dr. Cuddy was ... struck rather hard by this trope. It was pretty explicitly touted as a "See, even the capable, professional woman gets more hysterical than anyone else."

This trope characterizes women as less emotionally stable than men, and thus more prone to mental illness. As a result female characters may [[StayInTheKitchen be coddled]], or their [[CassandraTruth opinions undervalued]]. In Western works it's more likely to affect female characters over the age of 30 and who are HollywoodHomely and/or HollywoodPudgy; bonus points if she's a {{Housewife}}.

* An episode of ''{{House}}'' had a mass hysteria case where the normally quite competent Dr. Cuddy was ... struck rather hard by this trope. It was pretty explicitly touted as a "See, even the capable, professional woman gets more hysterical than anyone else."
* Another ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' example, from "Wolf in the Fold".

** The gag is recycled in ''Airplane 2: The Sequel'' when the same woman testifies on [[TheHero Ted Stryker's]] behalf in a KangarooCourt -- the memory of her hysterics sends her into a fresh episode of hysterics, which prompts the members of the court to line up to beat it out of her.

[[AC:RealLife]]

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3E-PAPiuyE This woman missed a plane.]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mt0tcJZLgk&feature=related It's only a ticket lady...]]

->''Thanks Rick; I needed that.''
-->-- '''Liz''', after being punched in the face in ''GarthMarenghisDarkplace''.

This trope is that women are less emotionally stable than men, and thus more prone to mental illness. It may lead to female characters [[StayInTheKitchen being babied]], or their [[CassandraTruth opinions not being valued]]. In Western works it's more likely to affect female characters over the age of 30 and who are HollywoodHomely and/or HollywoodPudgy; bonus points if she's a {{Housewife}}.

A form of DoubleStandard with many UnfortunateImplications, mostly used in older works. Usually a mostly ForgottenTrope these days, and [[DiscreditedTrope rarely played straight in modern works]]. You will however see it in works written as late as TheEighties.

This trope holds that women are less emotionally stable than men, and thus more prone to mental illness. This, in turn, is often used as a justification for portraying women as less competent than men, and less able to handle work or intellectual life, for fear it will set them "[[DrivenToMadness over the edge]]." It may lead to female characters [[StayInTheKitchen being babied]], or their [[CassandraTruth opinions not being valued]]. In Western works it's more likely to affect female characters over the age of 30 and who are HollywoodHomely and/or HollywoodPudgy; bonus points if she's a {{Housewife}}.

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''[[OrganAutonomy move throughout the body]]'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have, listed symptoms covered 50 pages of a Victorian psychology text and included such disparate entries as fainting, nervousness, fluid retention, "a general tendency to cause trouble" and much more. Most Victorian psychiatrists attributed hysteria to a deprivation of sex, and the treatment prescribed is, literally, a masturbation session--or as the Victorians would say--"pelvic massage until the patient as reached a state of Hysterical paroxysm"[[hottip:*:which, at the end of the day, inspired the invention of the vibrator. And the prevailing view of it being a strictly medical devices was so strong that vibrators were able to be marketed front and center as a home appliance on the '''Sears catalogue''' right into the 1920s]]. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease.

Although hysteria is no longer considered by psychiatrists to be a legitimate diagnosis, some older doctors still use it to describe any condition they don't recognize - but only in women, and usually only in middle-aged women.

'''This trope is about women being considered less stable, and therefore less competent and reliable than men. It is ''not'' "[[RealWomenNeverWearDresses Any woman who shows emotion]]," nor is it "Any instance of TheChick, DistressedDamsel, or FauxActionGirl." Don't use this for [[{{Complaining}} Complaining about female characters you don't like]].'''

* Mrs Peacock in ''{{Clue}}'' seems to be this.

* This trope was hilariously spoofed in ''{{Airplane}}!'', with a long line of passengers lining up to slap the hysterical woman.
** With increasing force. Towards the end of the line, they were holding lethal weapons.

-->-- Liz, after being punched in the face in '''GarthMarenghisDarkplace'''.

-->-- William Butler Yeats, "Lapis Lazuli"

* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Hysterical Broad"]] is one of the characters in ''ProblemSleuth'', and initially this fits perfectly, though everyone ends up fairly competent by the end.

* DeadSpace's female population was almost entirely these or LaughingMad women. {{Justified}} by the fact that enemies [[HighOctane hunted down, killed, mutilated, and revived you as one of them.]]

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''[[OrganAutonomy move throughout the body]]'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have, listed symptoms covered 50 pages of a Victorian psychology text and included such entries as fainting, nervousness, fluid retention, "a general tendency to cause trouble" and much more. Most Victorian doctors attributed hysteria to a deprivation of sex, and the treatment prescribed is, literally, a masturbation session--or as the Victorians would say--"pelvic massage until the patient as reached a state of Hysterical paroxysm"[[hottip:*:which, at the end of the day, inspired the invention of the vibrator. And the prevailing view of it being a strictly medical devices was so strong that vibrators were able to be marketed front and center as a home appliance on the '''Sears catalogue''' right into the 1920s]]. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease.

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''[[OrganAutonomy move throughout the body]]'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have, listed symptoms covered 50 pages of a posychology text and included such entries as fainting, nervousness, fluid retention, "a general tendency to cause trouble" and much more. Most Victorian doctors attributed hysteria to a deprivation of sex, and the treatment prescribed is, literally, a masturbation session--or as the Victorians would say--"pelvic massage until the patient as reached a state of Hysterical paroxysm"[[hottip:*:which, at the end of the day, inspired the invention of the vibrator. And the prevailing view of it being a strictly medical devices was so strong that vibrators were able to be marketed front and center as a home appliance on the '''Sears catalogue''' right into the 1920s]]. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease.

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''[[OrganAutonomy move throughout the body]]'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have, listed symptoms covered 50 pages of a posychology text included ranged from fainting, nervousness, fluid retention, to "a tendency to cause trouble" and much more. Most Victorian doctors attributed hysteria to a deprivation of sex, and the treatment prescribed is, literally, a masturbation session--or as the Victorians would say--"pelvic massage until the patient as reached a state of Hysterical paroxysm"[[hottip:*:which, at the end of the day, inspired the invention of the vibrator. And the prevailing view of it being a strictly medical devices was so strong that vibrators were able to be marketed front and center on the '''Sears catalogue''' right into the 1920s]]. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease.

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''[[OrganAutonomy move throughout the body]]'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease.

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''move throughout the body'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease.

Despite what many people think, this trope was not originally a psychiatric one. The ancient Greeks, who did not anatomize humans, believed that the human uterus ("hystera" in Greek) could ''move throughout the body'' to attack the other organs, causing both mental and physical disease. This belief held well into the post-Renaissance era but by the 19th century the meaning of the word "hysteria" changed, becoming a catch-all for any psychiatric problem a woman could have. In the early 20th century, though, the meaning expanded, as doctors influenced by a misunderstanding of Freud began to see all women's health problems as psychological, "not real", "all in her head", and used the word "hysteria" to describe this belief: even women suffering from cancer or angina found themselves being misdiagnosed with hysteria. One hospital study done in ''1983'' - yes, less than thirty years ago - found that 10% of the women referred to the local psychiatric outpatient clinic were actually suffering from heart disease. It's not difficult to see women's growing distrust of scientific medicine (and the rise of the GranolaGirl trope) as stemming from this "it's all in your head, you stupid ''crazy'' bitch" attitude.

* Not stated directly, and mostly offset by the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters that comprise Squad 7, but two of the main female cast of the ''ValkyriaChronicles'' have their most major development as characters when their nutty lady emotions overwhelm them and drive them to throw away their lives (and the lives of everyone around them) for basically nothing. [[spoiler:Varrot tries to murder a captured enemy officer, a crime that would absolutely end her career and possibly get her arrested or worse, incriminate her subordinates, Alicia tries to use the Valkyria's Flame ability in such close proximity to the rest of her squad that it would obliterate them and the city they're trying to save on the spot. Both have to be talked down by their future husbands]].

This trope holds that women are less emotionally stable than men, and thus more prone to mental illness. This, in turn, is often used as a justification for portraying women as less competent than men, and less able to handle work or intellectual life, for fear it will set them "[[DrivenToMadness over the edge]]." It may lead to female characters [[StayInTheKitchen being babied]], or their [[CassandraTruth opinions not being valued.]] In Western works it's more likely to affect female characters over the age of 30 and who are HollywoodHomely and/or HollywoodPudgy; bonus points if she's a {{Housewife}}.

'''This trope is about women being considered less stable, and therefore less competent and reliable than men. It is ''not'' "[[RealWomenNeverWearDresses Any woman who shows emotion]]," nor is it "Any instance of TheChick, DistressedDamsel, or FauxActionGirl." Don't use this for [[{{Complaining}} Complaining about female characters you don't like.]]'''

[[AC:Film: Live Action]]

*Mrs Peacock in ''{{Clue}}'' seems to be this.

[[AC: Literature]]

[[AC: Live Action TV]]

-->'''Kirk:''' All right, Mister Spock, what do we have? A creature without form, that feeds on horror and fear, that must assume a physical shape to kill.
-->'''Spock:''' And I suspect preys on women because women are more easily and more deeply terrified, generating more sheer horror than the male of the species.

[[AC:Video Games]]

* Not stated directly, and mostly offset by the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters that comprise Squad 7, but two of the main female cast of the ''ValkyriaChronicles'' have their most major development as characters when their nutty lady emotions overwhelm them and drive them to throw away their lives (and the lives of everyone around them) for basically nothing. [[spoiler:Varrot tries to murder a captured enemy officer, a crime that would absolutely end her career and possibly get her arrested or worse, incriminate her subordinates, Alicia tries to use the Valkyria's Flame ability in such close proximity to the rest of her squad that it would obliterate them and the city they're trying to save on the spot. Both have to be talked down by their future husbands.]]

[[AC: Western Animation]]

*Mocked in, of course, TheSimpsons. Marge foils a burglar and Homer arrives far too late (being unable to maintain the same running speed as Marge). Marge says how exhilarating it was, to which Homer responds that it's always exhilarating to watch the police get their man and save "an hysterical woman".